The present invention relates to a tool for lifting a tray or a vessel used in healthcare or other related industries, specifically a tool for lifting trays containing instruments that have been autoclaved or sterilized by heat. More particularly, the invention concerns a disposable tool for lifting a tray or vessel that has loop or hook handles.
Most instruments used in healthcare practices have to be sterilized prior to use. These instruments usually are placed in trays to be sterilized by steam or autoclaving. Currently, the trays used for sterilization are made of a metal such as stainless steel, and usually have either loop handles or hook handles disposed at each end. Some medical trays have no handles, but will have a flange disposed along the rim of the tray to aid lifting. The flange may be curving downwardly for easier gripping.
After steaming or autoclaving, the trays are handled while they are still hot. The handler may wear protective gloves or safety mitts for protection from the heated trays. However, the gloves or the mitts usually are not sterile because they are reused many times. Therefore, they can be a source of contamination to the sterilized instruments. Although sterile gloves are commercially available, they are not protective against heat.
Tools for lifting hot items have been disclosed in a number of U.S. patents. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 308,457 shows a lifting handle for a deep fryer basket having a long handle at one end and three hooks at an opposite end. U.S. Pat. No. Des 264,037 shows an oven rack moving tool having a long handle at one end and two branching hooks at the opposite end. U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,115 discloses a jar holder for holding a jar over a heating pan. The jar holder has a long handle and a means for receiving the edge portion at the opening of the jar. These devices are not suitable for lifting hot sterilized medical trays.
A device designed for lifting hot trays has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,171,144. This device is constructed with a substantially tubular, insulating handle, and a pair of tines projecting from a forward end of the handle. The separation between the tines, corresponding to the lateral dimension of the tray to be lifted, is adjustable by means of radial slots machined around the periphery of a bezel in the forward end of the handle. To lift a tray, the distance between the tines is set to correspond to the width of the tray below the upper flanges of the tray, and then the radially adjustable tines are fixed in position. The device is inserted with the tines forward under the flanges of the tray. The tray may then be lifted and maneuvered by corresponding movements of the handle portion, which is firmly gripped by the user""s hand. The ""144 device, however, does not work with a tray that has no flanges.
Another device designed for lifting hot trays is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,670. This device is detachably secured at a corner of a rectangular steam pan and to a flange thereof, whereby the steam pan may be safely removed from the top of a steam table with reduced danger of scalding the person lifting the steam pan. The ""670 device comprises a flat, generally triangular-shaped base having a means for gripping the flange of the tray, and a handle disposed upwardly away from the plane of the top of the steam pan. To lift a tray, a pair of the ""670 devices is attached at opposing corners of a tray by engaging the gripping means to the flanges of the tray. Similar to the device of ""144 patent, the ""670 device is limited to use with trays having flanges along the upper rim of the trays.
Further, a few tools specifically designed for lifting medical trays are commercially available. However, these tools usually are made of metal wire, which makes the tools relatively expensive, thus reuse is necessary. In order to reuse the tools, they have to be thoroughly cleaned, packed and sterilized. The process of cleaning, packaging, and sterilization can be costly. The cost includes labor, wrapping material and utilities for cleaning and sterilization.
In addition, some commercial metal wire tools are designed for use with trays having a specific type of handles. A tool intended for use with a tray with loop handles cannot be used with a tray with hook handles and vice versa.
Thus, there is a need for a one-time use, sterile tool for lifting sterilized trays that have either loop or hook handles. The tool should protect against heat, but be compact so that it requires minimal cost for packaging, sterilization, shipping or storage. In general, the tool should be inexpensive to produce and should not require reuse to be cost effective.
There is also a need for a versatile tool that can be used with trays having different types of handles.
To address these needs, the present invention provides a tool for lifting a tray or a vessel that has loop or hook handles. The tool comprises a substantially planar body having an upper end for handholding and a lower end configured to receive a handle of the tray.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the body defines a first rim and a second rim extending between the upper end and the lower end. Each rim preferably is rigid so to provide strength to the body. Furthermore, each rim defines a hook extending therefrom. The hooks are separated by the lower end of the body by a width corresponding to the width of the interior of a loop handle of a tray or a vessel such that the hooks are capable of catching the loop handle.
In one feature of this embodiment, the lower end may curve substantially along the hooks such that the lower end of the planar body acts as a wide hook. The hook on each rim may protrude substantially from the wide hook.
In another feature, the body defines a handhold slot disposed below the upper end of the body. The handhold slot is configured for easy gripping, and may have a gripping wall with a surface design to prevent slippage. The upper end may further define a support bar extending between said first rim and said second rim for supporting the handhold slot and for gripping.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a tool for lifting comprises a substantially planar body defining an upper end, a lower end, and an opening disposed above the lower end. The opening is configured for receiving a hook handle of a tray or a vessel. The body may further define a support rib disposed immediately below the opening against which the hook handle rests when the tray is lifted.
In this embodiment, the body may define a handhold slot disposed below the upper end and above the opening. The upper end may define a support bar for handholding.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a tool for lifting comprises a substantially planar body having an upper end, a lower end, and a first rim and a second rim extending between the upper end and the lower end. The first rim defines a first hook extending therefrom, the second rim defines a second hook extending therefrom, the first and second hooks being separated at the lower end by a width slightly less than the width of the interior of a loop handle of a tray or a vessel. The first and the second hooks are insertable through the loop handle to catch the tray when the tray is lifted.
In a further feature of this embodiment, the body defines an opening configured to receive a hook handle of a tray or a vessel. The opening is disposed above the lower end and may be supported by a rib extending across the body between the first and the second rims. Thus, this embodiment can be used with either type of handle i.e., hook or loop handle.
In one aspect of the present invention, the body may be made of any suitable heat resistant material, most preferably a disposable plastic. The body may be formed as a solid piece or as a strong mesh. Preferably, the body is made of material strong enough to hold the weight of the tray or the vessel with its contents. The tool of the present invention should be able to withstand any suitable method of sterilization.
It is one object of the invention to provide a versatile tool for lifting a tray or a vessel that has either loop or hook handles. The tool can be used for lifting a heated tray or a vessel after a process of sterilization. A further central object is to make a tool that can be sterilized and packaged, and that is most preferably disposable.